Charge for high explosive shells



Patented Jan, 12, 1932 NEWTON G. BOYD, OF KENVIL, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T HER cums rownm com- .PAN Y, 01 WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE omen ron man No Drawing.

My invention relates to an improved charge for high explosive shell and, more particularly, relates to a charge which will be efficient in operation and may be readily and efiiciently loaded into a shell.

Heretofore high explosive shells have been charged with a composition known as amatol and comprising a mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluol, usually in the proportion of 80% NILNO to TQN. T.

Amatol as a charge for high explosive shells has proved highly efficient from the standpoint of explosive strength, but in loading it is essential that the amatol completely 5 fill the load cavity of the shell in order to avoid so-called set-back which leads to premature explosion of the shell in the gun on firing.

The complete filling of the load cavity 20 with amatol presentsa difiicult problem, since the amatol mixture is solid and effective loading of shells has only heretofore been accomplished through the use of hydraulic rammers, which act to pack the solid amatol into the cavity. Hence. the loading of shells according to present known methods andwith the desirable explosive amatol involves substantial difficulty and thus requires expensive and substantially fixed machinery and is attended bysubstantial risk.

Now, provide an explosive composition for shells which will have the effectiveness of amatol and, at the same time, lend itself to effective charging, i. 'e. complete filling of the shell cavity, in a simple manner and without the necessity for any complicated apparatus.

In accordance with my invention, I provide an explosive composition cause of its composition, may be readily brought to a fluid condition through the application .of heat, enabling it to be run into the cavity of a shell and therein resolidified,

, with insurance that the cavity 'will be completely filled without the necessity for any tamping or ramming.

The composition in accordance with my invention includes in admixture the ingredi-' ents of amatol. ammonium mtrate and trinitrotoluol whlch'in admixture alone cannot in accordance with my invention I c which, be.-

EXPLOSIVE SHELLS Application filed January 19, 1928. Serial No. 248,913.

be rendered fluid by the application of heat because of the danger incident to the high temperature necessary to fuse the ammonium nitrate, to which is added more or less hydrated magnesium nitrate,

which I have discovered will,

the presence of through the,

presence ofwater of crystallization released on the application of heat at a relatively low temperature,

so reduce the fusing temperature of the ammonium nitrate asto enable the mixture to be rendered fluid at a temperature well within the limits of safety.

The amount of hydrated magnesium nitrate included in the composition may be varied within relatively wide limits depending upon the fusing point desired for the composition and without material efiect upon the explosive powerof the composition ascompared with amatol, it being only necessary Where any large amount of hydrated magnesium nitrate is used, resulting in the presence of effective quantitles of water of crystallization, to increase trinitrotoluol amatol. j

the proportion of over the usually found in As illustrative of various specific compositions of hydrated magnesium nitrate and ammomum nitrate with the fusing temperatures thereof,

reference is made to the fol lowing table:

' Mg.(NOa):.6H10 ammo, g

1o 90 121 15 85 118.5 20 so 111 25 15 104 30 1o 91 as as 91* As an example of a specific composition in accordance with my invention, 80%

hydrated magneslum ammonium nitrate is'mixed ture comprising 10% -nitrate and 90% of a mixwith 20% trinitrotoluol, in any convenient manner. The resultant at about 1-27"v (3., since I composition will fuse the trinitrotoluol has a melting point of 75 CF80 C. depending on its purity and the magnesium nitrate-a,

monium nitrate as indicated in the above-table.

mixture will fuse at 127 G.,

In the makfrom the ing up of compositions in accordance with my invention, it will be understood that the proportions'of hydrated magnesium nitrate and ammonium nitrate may be widely varied and that the trinitrotoluol content of the composition may be increased to compensate for'any loss of explosive strength resultant presence of the water of crystallization of the hydrated magnesium mtrate,

In the loading of a shell in accordance with my invention the explosive composition, for example, one comprising 20% T. N. T. and 80% of a mixture of 10% Mg.(NO 2.6H2O and NH4NO3 is heat ed to a temperature I of about 127 C. The heating will cause the mixture of Mg.(NO .6HO and NH NO to fuse or melt due to the release of the water of crystallization from the hydrated magnesium nitrate in which themagnesium nitrate and the ammonium nitrate will dissolve. The trinitrotoluol will be melted or fused at a temperature of 127 C. since its melting point is 75 C.80 C.

When the composition has been fused or" melted, it is run into the shell and will completely fill the cavity thereof without the necessity for ramming. 1 When the shell cavity is filled, the fused compositiontherein .is allowed to cool and will solidify due to, the return of the water-of crystallization to the magnesium nitrate with recrystallizatlon thereof and of the ammonium nitrate and solidification of the trinitrotoluol at a temperature below 75 C.80 C.

It will'now be observed that by virtue-of .my invention an explosive composition for shells is provided having the efiiciency of amatol and, at the same time, the efficient loading of shells may be accomplished with great simplicity and without the necessity for any particular apparatus, thus enabhng the loading operation to be readily carried out at almost any point on short notice.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the use of hydrated magnesium nitrate, since other. hydrated salts. such as calcium nitrate, zinc nitrate, or any hydrated salt which will-not decompose nitrate of ammonium and T. N. T., or equival'ents therefor, when mixed mayfbe substi-,

tuted therefor, and that likewise other explosive salts, as ammonium perchlorate, and the like may be substituted 'for'ammonium nitrate and ammonium picrate, or the like may be substituted for trinitrotoluol. Further, it

will be understood that I do not intend that my invention shall be limited to compositions having the ingredients in any particular proportions as variation of the proportions will be obvious-to one skilled in the art.

I have not herein claimed the method of cation filed by me January 2, 1929, Serial No. 329,962, as a division hereof.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1.- An explosive charge forhigh explosive shells incl'udin in admixture ammonium nitr'ate, hydrated magnesium nitrate and trinitrotoluol.

2.- An explosive charge for high explosive shells including trinitrotoluol about 20% and 3 explosive in solid form, the explosive salt having a fusion'temperature above that of the hydrated salt, the hydrated salt being present in suflicient quantity to enable fusion a temperature below,

of the mixture at a temperature below that at which the explosive salt will decompose.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand, iat'Kenvil, J., on this 13th day of J anuap g 1928.

v NE ron 0. BOYD.

loading high explosive shells disclosed, since such forms the subject matter ofan appli- 

